NCJ Number
52389
Date Published
1978
Length
26 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF FEMALE OFFENDERS AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH A DETAILED TYPOLOGY OF FEMALE DELINQUENTS AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT APPROACHES.
Abstract
STATISTICS ON ARRESTS, CONVICTIONS, AND INCARCERATION RATES FOR FEMALE OFFENDERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SUMMARIZED, AS ARE SELF-REPORT DATA FROM SURVEYS OF JUVENILES AND DATA INDICATIVE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS. THESE DATA SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: (1) FEMALE CRIME IS INCREASING, ESPECIALLY IN THE LARCENY/THEFT CATEGORY; (2) THE INCREASE IS GREATEST AMONG YOUNG FEMALES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOST SERIOUS CRIMES; (3) DESPITE THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS OF CRIMES COMMITED BY FEMALES, THE VAST MAJORITY OF CRIMES ARE STILL COMMITTED BY MALES; (4) FEMALES REPRESENT AN EVEN SMALLER PROPORTION OF THE INCARCERATED POPULATION THAN THEIR PROPORTION AMONG ARRESTS WOULD SUGGEST; AND (5) FEMALE JUVENILE OFFENDERS HAVE A GREATER TENDENCY THAN MALES TO COME FROM UNSTABLE FAMILY SITUATIONS AND TO BE DESCRIBED AS HAVING EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES REGARDING CAUSES OF FEMALE CRIME ARE REVIEWED. A CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY PROJECT INVOLVING THE CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF FEMALE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IS DISCUSSED, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE THREE CLASSIFICATIONS DEVELOPED BY THE PROJECT: CONFLICTED, POWER-ORIENTED, AND PASSIVE CONFORMIST. NEARLY THREE-FOURTHS OF THE SUBJECTS WERE CLASSIFIED AS CONFLICTED. IMPORTANT FACTORS IN TREATMENT SUCCESS FOR THIS GROUP SEEMED TO BE DISENGAGEMENT FROM FAMILY PROBLEMS, AVAILABILITY OF A STRONG, CARING FEMALE IDENTIFICATION FIGURE (THE TREATER), AND IMPROVED SELF-ESTEEM. FOR THE APPROXIMATELY 14 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS CLASSIFIED AS POWER-ORIENTED, TREATMENT WAS OFTEN LENGTHY AND NOT ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL. TREATMENT GOALS FOR THIS GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED SUBJECTS LABELED PSYCHOPATHIC OR SOCIOPATHIC UNDER OTHER CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS, WERE REDUCED FEAR OF CONTROL BY RESPONSIBLE ADULTS, REDUCED FEAR OF CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, A MORE REALISTIC SELF-PERCEPTION, AND INCREASED SOCIAL PERCEPTIVENESS. PASSIVE-CONFORMIST SUBJECTS, CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR ALMOST AUTOMATIC COMPLIANCE WITH THE DEMANDS OF OTHERS, ACCOUNTED FOR 7 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS. MOST OF THESE YOUNG WOMEN THRIVED DURING TREATMENT AIMED AT IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-DEFINITION, ASSERTIVENESS, CAPACITY FOR GROWTH, AND FEELINGS OF PERSONAL WORTH. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)